State Legislative candidates had the chance to present their views on campaign issues Tuesday afternoon at a candidate forum hosted by the Southeastern Minnesota Association of Realtors (SEMAR).

Candidates discussed the state budget deficit and options for fixing it, along with different sales tax options.

Kathy Green, Republican state Senate candidate and Austin school board member, said the budget deficit has little to do with the amount of revenue the state brings in — rather, it is a problem with expenditures.

“It’s not a revenue issue,” Green said. “We’re spending more than we have. Last year, the state of Minnesota brought in 7.6 percent more revenue than the year before.”

State House of Representative Republican candidate Jennifer Gumbel referenced the “taxes first approach” several times throughout the forum, saying the tactic of raising taxes as a first option for fixing the deficit is not the right way of doing things.

“The states that take the taxes first approach are the states that are hurting,” Gumbel said.

Democratic state senator Dan Sparks echoed other candidate’s sentiments regarding the idea of taxing services in realty and law practice.

“I don’t think taxing services is the way to go,” Sparks said.

Rep. Jeanne Poppe, the Democratic incumbent, said an all-encompassing sales tax is probably not something that will come out of next year’s legislative session. She said legislators will have to come up with new ways for the state to make money.

“We have a need for education, we have a need to fund our infrastructure, we have a need for public safety,” Poppe said. “As we continue to think about those issues, how are we going to fund that? We’re going to have to look at how we raise revenue.”

Sparks indicated that one of legislators’ priorities should be economic development.

“Anything we can do to maintain our jobs or create new jobs, we need to do,” Sparks said.

However, Green, Sparks’ opponent, called out Sparks on what she says is unnecessary spending on projects that don’t directly affect southeastern Minnesota.

Green said that state spending has increased 51 percent since Sparks took office eight years ago. She referenced bills that Sparks voted for that allowed for a gorilla exhibit at a St. Paul zoo, a St. Paul concert hall and a Minneapolis sculpture garden.

“None of these things benefited southeastern Minnesota,” Green said.

Both Green and Gumbel criticized the current legislature for implementing policies that are not sustainable and for overspending and contributing to the budget deficit. Green also said there is concern and distrust for legislators among voters.

Poppe countered some of the criticism by saying she is still hopeful about Minnesota’s current financial circumstances.

“It’s all going to be a new world Nov. 3,” Poppe said, referring to the day after elections. “I’m not sure exactly what’s going to happen, but I do have hope.”